Winding Binding Ties
by Bliss is Ignorance
Summary: " It had been a stupid mistake that led to this. Led to me bleeding out in some alley surrounded by at least a dozen dead bodies from a rival Family. Footsteps comes towards me, light and sharp, a woman's. Then my world turned black. " Don't own it! Arcobaleno27 Yaoi. I will answer any questions, comments and/or concerns at the bottom of each new chapter so REVEIW. T for now, maybe
1. Chapter 1

It had been a stupid mistake that led to this. Led to me bleeding out in some alley surrounded by at least a dozen dead bodies from a rival Family. I rest the back of my head against the graffiti-covered wall, wincing as I disturb the bullet wound in my abdominal region, as well as the one lodged in my thigh and calf. The pain no longer registering in my mind as a black haze drifted over my vision, all of my senses dulled as a result of the blood my body was losing. The last thing to register in my mind was the echoing taps of footsteps coming towards me, light and sharp, a woman's. Then my world turned black.

_The sun had just gone down, and my target had entered the bathroom attached to his room. The train swayed under me as the wind howled in my ears, causing them to pop under the pressure. Calmly, I pulled out a silencer from my jacket and un-holstered my gun, screwing the silencer to the muzzle, I stood, swaying with the train's movements. I raised my arm, closed my eyes, centered myself and waited._

_One. I sped around a corner._

_Two. The wind shrieked._

_Three. I could hear my heartbeat._

_Four. The train shuddered._

_Five. Two blocks more to go._

_Six. One more._

_Seven. Top floor, first room on the left._

_Eight. My flames warmed the gun as they were absorbed._

_Nine. I raised the gun and took aim._

_Ten. I fired and my target fell to the floor with a bullet in his forehead._

_ A sigh of relief escaped my lips as I sunk into the warm water of my bath an hour later. I raised my right hand up against the light, like I wanted to touch the ceiling, and the sky beyond it. It had been six years. Six long years since my mother had been gunned down in our home. Six years since my father had walked through the door and handed me over to a man named Kawahira. It had been two since he had come home after a hit to find Kawahira gone, he had left without a trace. I hadn't been able to find him, but he would still leave me hits to take care of._

_ Humming lowly I climbed out of the tub and toweled off slipping into a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. Collapsing onto the bed I chained all of my memories from my past and shoved them back into the box they had escaped from. Easily I slipped into a dreamless sleep, one that lasted for the minimum of four hours before I dragged myself out of bed and began my exercises, the patterns of hand-to-hand combat against an invisible opponent relaxing me as I repeated the familiar drills._

_ And then my door burst open. Stunned I turned and at least a dozen goons flooded into the cramped apartment Kawahira had left me in. I recognized the crest of the Family, it was the same for the man I had killed earlier, the one I was told was only a major player in the corporate life. How wrong that information was, that man was the boss of a very volatile, and relatively new, mafia family._

_ "Shit." I cursed before grabbing the pair of white and red mittens on my nightstand and the gun under my pillow. Opening my window as two men burst through my partially opened bedroom door, and shot me. Blood spurted from my abdominal region and I winced at the burning pain before leaping out the open window. Losing blood fast and not wantind to get stopped by an innocent passerby, I ducked into an alley, hoping that I had lost them._

_ It had quickly become apparent thirty minutes later as I slid down the disgusting wall with three bullet wounds, bruises and cuts marring nearly every surface of my body, that I had not lost them. Silly me._

Beeping invaded my senses. A bright light flared into my eyes through my red eyelids. Slowly easing them open, I saw a plain white ceiling, one associated with hospitals. Refusing to panic, I sat up to look at my room, and the color green caught my eye. A pregnant woman with long green hair and a large white hat sat in a chair next to my bed. She opened eyes the color of a clear sky and stared into my orange-tinted eyes.

"You're awake!" she chirped reaching forwards to press a button, and ignored the sudden tension in my muscles. Adrenaline flooded through my veins as I watched her through carefully blank eyes, the beeping of the monitor sped up slightly. "I was beginning to worry that I hadn't gotten to you in time!" she continued as though I hadn't even begun to prepare myself to attack her. "Anyway, I'm sure you are wondering where you are, and what you are doing here, hm, Tsunayoshi-kun." I froze when she said my name, nobody knew my full name.

She stood and held out a hand to me, palm up. An invitation. I raised my right hand to place it in hers automatically, only to hesitate when I caught sight of a pale white scar on the back of my hand, it's twin on my palm. I placed my hand on the bed and heaved myself up, placing the majority of my weight on my right leg, as my left could no longer support my weight as it was sporting a hole in two of the important muscles necessary for walking. Instead of getting offended or being upset she merely smiled and opened the door of the white room and began to lead me down a large hallway. We paused at a door, a beam of warm yellow light seeping out from underneath it and the sound of voices drifted to my sensitive ears. The woman pushed open the door, and held it open as I limped in stoically.

"Everyone! Look, our guest is awake!" she smiled brightly, like it was the best thing that had ever happened to her. I looked at her sideways, the hat dominating most of my vision, but a hint of a warm, maternal smile teased me. Silently, I looked over the occupants of the room, six male and one female. The only other female had a blonde male in her grip, and the blonde male had red cheeks like he had been slapped repeatedly. A second male was sitting at the round table counting money, a hood shadowing his eyes and long locks of violet hair hung down his back. The third was sitting _on_ the table, his raven hair hung over his shoulder in a braid as he sipped calmly at his tea. The fourth was sitting on top of the fifth one, the fourth was wearing a fedora with a yellow strip, and he wore an immaculate suit. The fifth had bright purple hair and seemed to be wearing a large amount of make-up. The sixth was sitting next to the money counter and had paused in writing something in a notepad, a thick sheaf of papers next to his elbow, when the woman had brought me in.

"Right, so the man sitting on the table is Fon." She said, ignoring the fact that nobody but the note taker had paid any attention to our entry. "The one counting money is Viper, but he prefers to be called Mammon. Then there is Verde, he's sitting next to Viper. Lal Mirch is he woman holding Colonello in a head-lock. Reborn is the male sitting on Skull, and my name is Luche." She told me. I wondered why, she didn't know me, she didn't have anything to do with me so, why?

"Everyone, your attention please." She smiled, clapping her hands together. The sharp noise drew everyone's attention to me and her. Suddenly, I was aware that I wore only a pair of loose cotton pants and bandages. "This is Sawada Tsunayoshi-kun!" she chirped, and I reacted instinctively. My hand was pressed against her windpipe, the pressure barely there, as a warning that I would crush her windpipe, my fingers on her pulse.

"How do you know my name?" I asked her quietly. "Nobody knows my name." I ignored the commotion in front of us, when one of the gathered seven made a move to approach, she shook her head, signaling a stop.

"I know your name, Tsunayoshi-kun, because you will become very important to us later on." She informed me.

"I don't believe that." I said, my voice low and dangerous, my eyes zeroed in on her expression. She smiled and a tendril of orange flame wrapped around my wrist, connecting my Flame to her own. She repeated her answer and her sincerity flooded my mind, and I saw what she Saw. I could also feel the pulse of her child's Flame, young and bright.

"Now, I believe you are making my Guardians nervous, Tsunayoshi-kun." She smiled warmly at me, even though I had just threatened hers and her child's life. I dropped my hand, no mark marred her neck.

"Sorry." I said shortly, tensely. "Where are the items that I brought with me?" I ask Luche. She smiled and handed me a bag she had concealed beneath her cloak. I pulled the gun out and clipped the holster it was still in around my uninjured thigh. The Mittens were shoved underneath the leather of the holster. Then I turned and limped back to my room, not saying another word.

_**Review please, I will answer any questions, comments and/or concerns that you have in this area after every chapter!**_

_**Thank you for reading.**_


	2. Chapter 2

After the incident in the kitchen, nobody had come to bother me. It was quiet, peaceful and it put me on edge, I had gotten used to the low thrum of traffic and the loud wail of sirens that wafted up into my tiny apartment. This made me want to shoot myself in the foot, it was rule number one, don't get attached. And I had gotten attached to the small apartment in the middle of the slums of the city. Eventually, though, I managed to drift off into a light slumber, knowing it would benefit my body's healing process. I felt comforted by the harsh weight of the gun pressed against my thigh through the mittens and the pants.

When I woke up again, night had fallen and I was hungry. With a sigh, knowing that I hadn't eaten in about twenty-four hours and I would need to do so soon, before my body starts getting weak, which would not benefit my plan to get out of here as soon as possible. Limping down the hall, I paused in front of the kitchen/dining room Luche had led me to earlier. Pushing open the door, I found the man with purple hair, Skull, clumsily attempting to wrap bandages around a nasty looking wound across his back and ribs.

"Holy shit!" Skull yelped when he saw me, dropping the roll of bandages in his surprise. His large violet eyes widened in shock and he went pale. "I thought everyone was asleep!" he whined, obviously trying to play off the fact that he had been trying to secretly take care of a wound nobody knew he had.

"…They are. I am not." I deadpanned, moving to grab the roll of bandages. "I need to eat." I said, and Skull jumped slightly before he moved to the fridge, wincing as he strained his wound when he pulled a large Tupperware container filled with fried rice from the fridge. I watched in silence as Skull went about preparing a bowl for me, even though I hadn't asked him to, he seemed used to this. This made me sad, as it reminded me of my childhood, before Kawahira began to train me.

"Thank you." I whispered, taking the warm food from his hands, wolfing it down in seconds, noting the frozen state Skull seemed to be stuck in. Gently placing the now empty bowl in the large sink, I grabbed a bottle of antiseptic from the open First Aid kit on the counter and dipped a cotton swab into it, before approaching the stunned male. I felt my cheeks heat up as I kneeled down so my face was level with the wound, directly eye-level with the ripped torso of the other man. I touched the cotton swab to the wound, gently cleaning it, which caused Skull to jump as I snapped him out of whatever daze he had been in. Glancing up I was met with confused violet eyes, a warmth spread arcos my nose and cheekbones as I hurriedly glanced away from him. I felt my stomach knot and tremble when my gaze found his washboard abs and toned biceps.

"I've never been thanked before…" Skull whispered softly. I looked up at him, ignoring the way the knot in my stomach tightened when I saw the look on his face. His face was flushed softly, and his full bottom lip between his teeth, and his violet eyes shy and turned away. I could feel my expression changing, I smiled warmly at him before standing, grabbed the First Aid kit and his hand. Tugging him along to my room, I explained that he needed stitches and the low was too dim. Sitting him on my bed, and fighting down a blush I sat next to him and sewed him up.

"What happened?" I asked, frowning.

"Hmm? Oh, I got into a fight." Skull said.

"It was that Reborn guy wasn't it?" I asked, knowing I was right when he tensed. "That guy… I hate guys like him." I growled.

"He doesn't know." Skull said in a soft voice. I looked up at him, a roll of bandages in my hands, and raised an eyebrow.

"What?" I asked. Skull smiled at me brightly and rubbed the back of his neck.

"He doesn't know I got hurt! He may be a jerk, but he wouldn't go this far just to hurt me, normally I would get a few bruises that would be gone in a day, but he doesn't know that." Skull explained.

"And you're okay with this?" I asked him disbelievingly.

"Reborn… He is mean to people because it makes them keep their distance. He ignores and he hits the people he finds himself getting close too." Skull explains. "He's human and he's afraid of gaining any more weaknesses than that. He doesn't want to get hurt by having someone he cares for targeted."

"Ah." I say, a smile tugging at my lips. This Reborn wasn't all that different from me. "I get it." I say.

"Yeah. Reborn's… he's very loyal and he cares more than he shows." Skull said, watching as I wind bandages snugly around his torso, my fingertips brushing against his skin.

"You should still let him know." I say. "If he does care then, no matter how he reacts, he'll be more careful." Skull nods at me.

"So when's you birthday?" he asks me randomly.

"October fourteenth. I'll be seventeen." I tell him, clipping the end of the bandage securely to another section.

"Oh?" Skull says and eventually the conversation dies off as he falls asleep, sprawled across my bed. I smile at him, Skull had wormed his way under my defences effortlessly, and oddly enough my intuition seemed to tell me that it was a good thing. I didn't question how or why it was good for him to become my first weakness, because that's what he was. My weakness. I wouldn't be able to hurt him, not after getting to know him, not now that he's made me curious, made me interested. It was dangerous, it was exciting and it made me happy. Skull didn't know my past, he didn't know who I was, all he knew was that I am Sawada Tsunayoshi, sixteen years old, and I knew how to bandage wounds better than someone my age should.

I sat there, knees tucked into my chest as I watched his bare chest rise and fall evenly, the bright light glinting off his silver piercings in his lip and eyebrow. The cuffs and studs along his ears partially hidden by his purple hair, which splayed around his head like a purple flame, wild and untamable. Long dark lashes lay against pale cheeks, face devoid of the make-up he had had on earlier.

Skull slept on as I covered him with the blanket and flipped off the lights before climbing back onto the bed and curling up at the end and dozed off next to my new friend, well aware of the person hovering outside the doorway. They had been there the whole time, and I hadn't let Skull know because there had been no intent to harm, and now that it was quiet the person began to leave.

"Goodnight." I called to them, and smiling when I heard them pause before resuming their retreat. Really, Reborn was so much more similar to myself than I would ever care to admit.

_**Hiya!**_

_**First off I would like to thank Knightcross for being the first reviewer! You get a huge thank you sign and confetti!**_

_**Next off, I have been asked by two lovely reviewers how old Tsuna is. The answer is… he is almost sixteen years old in this story!**_

_**Thank you for reading and please review if you have any questions or comments!**_


	3. Chapter 3

I woke up to an empty bed and an embarrassed Skull standing by the door. Rubbing my eye and crawling down from the bed, I yawned.

"I'm so sorry!" Skull wailed, waving his arms around in distress. Tiredly, I moved towards him and my head landed on his chest. I felt him freeze and look down at my head of fluffy hair. "Tsuna?" he asked hesitantly his hands fluttering around my head nervously, not touching me.

"Shhhhh, shhhh…." I murmured, pressing my fingers against his mouth. "Too loud. It's fine." I said, leaning farther into him, not fully aware of my surroundings.

"O-…Okay…" I heard and felt him say against my hand, which trailed down his jaw and landed limply on his shoulder when the effort required to hold it up was too great at this point in time in the morning. "Are you alright, Tsuna?" he asked a hand resting on top of my shoulder and head.

"Mhm." I nod against his chest, my cheek rubbing against the bandages on his lower chest. "'M just sleepy." I mumble. His chest rumbles as he chuckled and I felt a smile rise unbidden to my mouth. With a sigh I pull away and grab his hand to tug him back into the kitchen. I sat down in an empty chair next to Reborn, ignoring the blush on Skull's face and the raised eyebrows that caused that.

"Skull…" Luche began, her eyes narrowing on the nervous teen. "What were you doing with Tsunayoshi-kun?" her voice dangerously soft.

"He was getting bandaged up because the cry-baby couldn't do it himself." Reborn drawled from behind the newspaper, a cup of espresso near his elbow.

"Yeah, he needed stitches, so I stitched him up in my room last night and we got to talking and he fell asleep." I said, before leaning forwards and snatching Reborn's espresso. Reborn froze and twitched before lowering the paper, and everyone watched him warily. I sipped the drink calmly before sighing. "Tastes wonderful, Reborn." I say tiredly, leaning against his stiff arm.

"Then go get your own." He growled lowly, eyes glaring down at me.

"No. That would require effort, and energy and I have none at the moment." I reply, allowing myself to be shoved away as he huffs and reaches for the new cup of espresso Luche had made when I nabbed his.

"If you keep stealing my espresso, we are going to have problems." Reborn said in a voice promising many painful situations. I was too tired to care right now.

"Mmm. Okay, I won't jack your espresso every morning, just every other morning." I bargain. I heard him sigh as I sip more of the stolen drink before he replied.

"_Fine." _He growls.

"Why the hell are you being so nice, Reborn, kora?!" Colonello screeches.

"None of your business." Reborn deadpans before ignoring everyone in the room, even as my head lands on his shoulder as I tiredly sip the coffee. I knew why. This was his thank you for patching up his mistake, for helping a member of his small circle of important people. For listening when no one else would and understanding, for not condemning one of his precious person's choices, for allowing him to stretch his wings for once.

"Since Reborn and Skull seem so close to Tsunayoshi-kun, why don't one of you show him around, Lal is taking me to my doctor's appointment so I can't." Luche said, smiling brightly at the three of us, the others on the opposite side of the room, waiting for Reborn to snap and destroy the boy Luche brought home.

"Reborn'll do it." I said, knowing the hitman wanted to speak to me. Reborn hummed and shrugged my head off his shoulder. I smiled brightly at the hitman and placed the empty cup in the sink when I stood, before waiting by the door.

"Very well, Luche." Reborn said, and joined me where I stood leaning against the wall in the bandages and loose pants I had woken up in. "Follow me, Dame-Tsuna." And I couldn't help but sigh and roll my eyes at the new nickname as I pushed my way through the door to follow the tense hitman. Reborn's fedora was low over his face, putting his eyes in the shade, and one of his hands were tucked into a pocket of the dress slacks of his Armani suit.

"What's on your mind Reborn?" I ask, treading warily, knowing that Reborn was not someone you take lightly, not someone you trust at your back without anything to ensure your safety. My point was proved when I was slammed into the wall, and Reborn leaned in, his forearm on the wall.

"What the hell are you planning?" Reborn asked me, his eyes burning a dull hazel, almost an amber color.

"To get better and leave before I get anymore attached to the people living here." I answered, blushing at his proximity. Reborn was not only dangerous, but a sensual being at his core. Pale skin, dark hair and eyes, high cheekbones, straight nose and a high forehead, lending him an aesthetically pleasing look. His aloof demeanor and tall frame only added to his appeal.

"Good." Reborn said, eyes narrowed on mine, and my stomach knotted up so tightly, I could feel it in my throat as warmth spread from my cheeks across the bridge of my nose and down my throat.

"But… You're… Making that very difficult…" I whispered, unable to look away from Reborn's eyes. A slow smirk curled his lips and arousal shot through my veins, before he pulled away and began the tour. I leaned my head back against the wall for a moment and smiled, it appeared that Reborn has begun to slowly but surely accept me into his circle, which wasn't surprising. After all we are one in the same, even though he's been doing this longer.

We finished the tour an hour before lunch would be served. I wandered off to find Skull, leaving Reborn to his own devices in the kitchen, feeling his hot gaze brush over my form, lending another hot burst of arousal to shoot through my veins. I smiled as I compared the differences I felt between them. With Reborn it was hot and intense, with Skull, it was slow and sensual. I could deal with arousal, with curiosity. But these men interested me, and I'm becoming more attached the longer I stay, and it's only been two days.

"Tsunayoshi-san?" a calm and gentle voice asked behind me and I turned. Fong stood behind me a small smile on his gentle face.


	4. Chapter 4

"Hello, Fong." I said, waiting for him to say something in reply. When he did nothing but fold his hands together and inclined his head in a silent request for me to follow him. Humming to myself in curiosity I began to follow him, remember what had taken place just minutes ago.

_ "But… You're… Making that very difficult…" I whispered, unable to look away from Reborn's eyes. A slow smirk curled his lips and arousal shot through my veins, before he pulled away and began the tour. I followed him down the wide, arching hallway, it's walls a pale crème color, and was intercepted halfway down by thick, dark wood paneling, lighter brown heightened the paleness of the crème walls in the swirls and whorls. Thick antique rugs lined the floors, cushioning our footsteps and thick blue curtains draped large bay windows. I paused at one of the windows, absently noting how Reborn paused to wait for me a few steps ahead. Twitching back one of the curtains, I took in the view. A large garden was situated outside, tall, thick sakura trees in full bloom dotted the view of the pale blue sky, and thousands of different flowers bloomed prettily in large flowerbeds._

_ "Luche takes care of this garden personally." Reborn told me. I looked at him in interest at this piece of information._

_ "She does a really good job of it." I say, looking at the fruits of her labor. Reborn makes a noise low in his throat, before turning and starting to walk away. Reluctantly, I padded after him down the beautiful hallway. He paused at a door, its wood dark and old looking, it was carved with beautiful depictions of flowers and vines and it had a gold ornamental looking handle, which Reborn grasped in his large hand. Opening it he showed me the interior, but we didn't enter._

_ "This is Luche's office." was all he said to me. Her office held shelves of books and picture frames, all of the people he had met upon his first awakening. Pictures of her family. The walls of the office were painted a light amber color, the floor covered in fluffy white carpet. Situated in front of a large window covered in white drapes was a huge mahogany desk, carved in the same pattern as the door. I stepped back, and we continued after Reborn had closed the door again._

_ "The guest bathroom." This room had marbled grey-brown tile and tan air-brushed walls. Medium brown cabinets were situated under a pale marble counter top. Next to that stood a vanity table where two candles and a vase of lilies sat. The toilet was… well, a toilet. And the bath was huge, surrounded by a row of small grey tiles, large enough for three people to fit and a door less archway led to the shower, I assumed._

_ "My, my, I think if I ever need to stay somewhere, I'll just rent out a room here if I get to use these kinds of bathrooms…" I commented absently to Reborn._

_ "I doubt you could afford to pay rent to stay in a place like this." Reborn quipped._

_ "You are biased!" I protested. "You live here for free so shut up!" Reborn smirked and led me onwards. He paused at the first door we saw on the right. It was painted a pale blue and in cursive the name Lal Mirch had been engraved into the door. "I am not looking in there." I stated staring at the door._

_ "Why? You scared, Dame-Tsuna." Reborn teased. I twitched at the nickname but focused on the other things he said._

_ "Have you ever stepped foot into a girl's room uninvited?" I asked him archly. "If there was one lesson my master never needed to teach me, it was that you never go through a woman's purse, you'll get lost in one, they're like portable black holes, and that you never enter a female's room uninvited without a death wish. They seem to enjoy their privacy for some strange reason." Reborn blinked at me curiously before shrugged and continuing on, I heard the relieved sigh come from behind the door, and smiled._

_ "This is Skull's room." Reborn informed me as we entered the next room. I smiled because it was just so Skull. The room was painted a dark purple and in the center of the room, a large bed in black sheets sat with a metal frame. A night stand held a glass of half-drunk water and manuals for fixing cars and motorcycles. Heavy violet drapes hung over a window and an armchair sat next to the window, which was located on the far wall. Opposite the window was the door we stood in, on the wall to our right, were two more doors. The first one led to what appeared to be a bathroom, judging by the toilet I saw. The other was a closet full of jumpsuits, actual suits and casual clothes. The grey carpet was covered in metal parts in various stages of repair and broken helmets, relics from the stunts he had pulled in the past._

_ Continuing on, the next room was Verde's according to Reborn. The room was very neat, and tidy. A desk with large stack of paper, a rolly chair, and a computer sat against the wall to our left. A small bed leaned against the wall on our right and a spare futon seemed to be missing from it's resting place on the table shoved up against the opposite wall, next to a window covered in blinds. In the very center of the room was a large tub, it appeared to be empty at the moment, but it was filled with clear, sparkling water. Which also explained the stone flooring. The room itself, patterned in green and white, seemed lonely, barely lived in._

_ "Verde spends most of his time down in the lab." Reborn said, and I jumped, staring at him with wide eyes._

_ "Did you just… Can you…?" I trailed off narrowing my eyes at the all too calm Reborn._

_ "I forgot to tell you?" Reborn questioned innocently. "Whoops… I can read minds by the way!" he said as brightly as he could manage while staying nonchalant and annoyed. How he managed to pull it off was beyond me, but he did._

_ "Whatever, stupid Reborn." I grumbled, and stepped back into the hallway. "What's next?"_

_ "Next, Dame-Tsuna, is Colonello's room." Reborn answered, causing me to twitch once more at the nickname._

_ Colonello's room was… interesting. The room itself was normal enough, painted a dark blue and had lighter colored wooden furnishings. However, all types of guns and knives, almost every weapon imaginable, and then some, decorated the large walls. Needless to say, I didn't linger here, as all of the weapons got to me. It was kinda freaky that he slept in a room full of weapons that could be used against him at any moment. I worried for Colonello's sanity momentarily before Reborn opened another door._

_ "Fong's room." Reborn said shortly. I raised an eyebrow and stepped in for a better view. The floor was covered in white carpet, and was dominated by a huge western style bed, the window seemed to lead to a balcony and was merely a traditional sliding door. A large red cabinet lay against the other wall._

_ "It's so peaceful here." I say to Reborn, remembering how Fong had been meditating when I first met him._

_ "That's Fong for you." He replied shutting the door when I stepped back into the hallway. "And this room, is mine." He informed me, opening the first white door I had seen throughout the entire tour. This room seemed to breathe Reborn. There was a window, but it was covered in silky black curtains that waved in the breeze wafting in from the opened window. Thick columns draped in yellow and black silk sat, jutting out from the wall gracefully. The wall opposite me was covered in black padding, and going from the sheen the low, rich beams of light from the two lamps caused, it was leather. The aforementioned lamps sat on low black lacquered nightstands on either side of the bed. Low, and covered in silky black sheets, with a thick, yellow patterned design comforter, the bed seemed to ooze invitation, looking soft and comfortable. In all the room breathed of sensuality and grace._

_ "Wow." I breathed looking around, missing the slightly relieved look in his eyes as he watched me. "Reborn, you're room is amazing!" I turned to face him and smiled! When he didn't say anything I looked at him, tearing my gaze away from the golden designs sponged onto the dark walls. There was something hot in his eyes, burning into me and I could feel something rise up inside of me in response._

_ "Reborn?" I asked, trying to fight down the flush. He seemed to shake himself and tugged me out of his room and into the hallway._

_ "Next is Viper's room." He said after he had cleared his throat. I glanced at him worriedly, before stopping myself. With a small sigh I turned my attention to the room before me. The room was Spartan, nothing was on the floor, there was nothing but a window with indigo shutters and a bed with indigo sheets. A small table held a safe and a computer, but that was it._

_ "My, so bare." I said, when we left._

_ "Yes, Viper doesn't like to be tied down, so he doesn't have too many things that he thinks are of value, except for that safe and computer." Reborn answered absently. "This is Luche's room."_

_ The room had antique carpeting and the bed had a canopy over it. The walls were a warm beige color and there was a small table surrounded by comfortable looking armchairs. A crib stood against the wall. That was all I had seen when I ducked in for a quick peak to satisfy my curiosity._

_ "Cool. Your rooms seem to resemble each of you pretty well." I say, Reborn rolled his eyes and stopped in front of the last door. _

_ "This is going to be your room, Dame-Tsuna. If you end up staying, that is." Reborn said, muttering the last part under his breath. Inside the room was baren. The bed had no sheets and there was a desk underneath the window, a dresser stood opposite the bed and the walls were white. The floor was wooden and a small table stood low to the ground in the center of the room._

_ "My…room?" I say, looking at the bare room with wide eyes. Something in my chest tightened at the thought. I turned and smiled as brightly as I could at the man standing behind me._

"Tsunayoshi, I must ask, are you going to attack my family again?" Fong asked me, breaking my reverie and that was when I noticed that we were outside and in the garden.

"No, not intentionally anyway." I say, answer flowing unbidden through my lips from my heart. "Your family, it interests me, makes me curious. I want to know all of you, and this hasn't happened to me before, not in the last eight years of my life." I tell him honestly.

"What do you mean?" he asks me, his voice soft and curious as he sits on the flat stone in front of the large sakura tree. I look up at the swaying branches, and contemplate my answer.

"My mother died in my home when I was eight. I found her body when I came home from school. My father gave me to my Master, and he raised me for the next six years. I never went to school again, but he tutored me in anything I'd need to know so by the time I was twelve, I would have been finished with school. He also trained me, for two years, after my mental training, I learned different types of hand-to-hand combat and he trained me to use a gun that absorbs my flames to fire. The gun I'm wearing and the mittens I have were given to me by him on my fourteenth birthday." I saw, my fingers brushing the holstered weapon absently. "When I woke up the next day he was gone. For the next two years the only contact I had with my Master was when he would leave me targets for assassinations, but always when I was never around." Here I looked back at Fong, who stared at me calmly, albeit sadly. "That is why your family interests me. I've never had much of one and to see interact with one another, it's foreign to me."

"Tsunayoshi-kun…" Fong said, watching me intently. I smiled, Fong's presence was calming, it was addictive to me, whose life had always contained chaos. "I would be honored if you would like to become a part of our family, Tsuna." Fong said and I stared at him, our eyes met, mine wide and his soft and amused. Sakura petals danced above us in the wind, some drifting to the ground between us. I felt it as a smile stretched across my mouth, wide and happy.

"Thank you." I said, knowing now that my plan to leave had gone down in flames the second Luche had asked Reborn to show me around, that sneaky lady. Fong stood and gently placed his hand a top my head before he walked away, leaving me to smile up at the dancing petals and the huge, huge sky.

_**Hello lovelies!**_

_**This chapter is dedicated to Clarrolx, who was the first review to give me constructive criticism and who helped me in coming up with this chapter!**_


	5. Chapter 5

It was cruel really, I thought to myself, watching as Skull leaned over the engine of the car he'd been working on. Skull, shirtless with his stained jeans slung low on his hips, gleamed with sweat and grease, his purple hair plastered to his neck as a droplet ran down the lean length of his spine when he leaned forwards. His face, bare of any make-up, a silver hoop gleaming in his lower lip and eyebrow, was creased into a frown of concentration. I watched from my perch on the hood of the car next to him, fighting the arousal burning through my veins and the blush that accompanied it. I watched as the muscled torso and toned arms tensed and relaxed as he twisted the bolt into place with the wrench.

"Don't start drooling, Sawada." An unfamiliar voice drawled amused, and I glanced at them quickly before turning to ogle the oblivious Skull as he worked on his new toy. Viper reclined against the windshield behind me, his long hair splayed around him, he had changed out of his long, heavy clothes into a pair of ripped up dark wash jeans and a black tank-top, his face shaded in the shadow of his ball cap. A frog hung onto the top of his hat, and a button with a smiley face was pinned to the front.

"I can try, but I make no promises." I say to him as he crossed his thin, toned arms behind his head, his low ponytail now draped across his chest from over his shoulder. "You must be Viper." I say, not expecting answer.

"My, my, I must admit, I never imagined this." Viper comments casually, I turned to look at him, and raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" I ask even though I am almost positive I knew what he meant.

"You find Skull attractive." He smiled at me, it was a small things, teasing and playful and one not often used. "But, I have to wonder… is he the only one?" Viper trailed off, and I smirked.

"And if that were true?" I asked coyly, stunned at myself. I was flirting, and was being flirted with, and it felt good. Viper allowed a slow smirk to curl his normally expressionless mouth.

"Then I would have to say, that you, dear boy, are royally screwed." Viper said, sitting up, and sliding over next to me to watch the muscles move tantalizingly underneath the smooth pale-tan skin of Skull's body.

"Mhm." I sighed, "and I would have to say that we are acting like deprived perverts." I groan, teasingly leaning my weight onto Viper's shoulder, my head thrown dramatically over his shoulder. The creases in my skin and the areas our skin touched instantly springing up moist sweat.

"No arguments here." Viper grinned, licking his lips teasingly. "It's nice to have a younger person here." He sighs.

"Hmm?" I hummed, most of my attention focused on the droplet of sweat that trickled down Skull's abs.

"Oi, pay attention." Viper huffs in amusement, waving a hand in front of my face. Dazedly I blinked up at him. "I was saying that it's nice not to be the only teen here."

"Oh? How old are you?" I asked him, tugging on his long violet hair.

"I'm seventeen." Viper said. "Skull is eighteen, Colonello and Fong are nineteen, Reborn is twenty. Lal Mirch just turned twenty-two. Luche is twenty-six and Verde is twenty-nine." A breathy sigh left his lips and he stretched before sliding off of the hood.

"I'm sixteen. I'll be seventeen in about three weeks." I say, watching him as he sauntered away, a wad of cash was pulled from his pocket and he began to count the money in his hand.

"Mmm… we should talk together again sometime, Tsuna." Viper tossed over his shoulder as he retreated into the air conditioned house. I stared after him a while, not quite sure if I saw what I think I did. There was no doubt about it, Viper has a tattoo, and coincidentally, a very nice butt. Damned teenage hormones.

"Tsuna? Tsuna!" I heard Skull call, snapping my head around, I was met with the sight of Skull's face inches away from mine. Our eyes widened, and my breath caught in my throat as my eyes dropped to the full mouth and gleaming piercing.

"Yeah?" I murmur, tearing my gaze away from his mouth to his eyes, his large, violet eyes darkened with something I was afraid to name for fear of being wrong.

"I-I wanted to know if you wanted something to eat." He said shakily, his breath puffing against my jaw, as at this angle I was taller than him. I leaned a bit closer and nodded, his arms were resting against the new pair of cotton pants I had found in the infirmary room I was staying in as I healed from the bullet wounds, his hot, hot hands resting on my thighs.

"Um… sure yeah." I say, his closeness affecting my brain's thought process. Lust sparked and burned through me, I was no stranger to lust, having lost my virginity to some guy in a club last year, he had been gone when I woke up and I had left feeling sated and sore. I hadn't been able to score lately, with the influx of missions my master had left for me, and being surrounded by these hot males were not helping my control. And boy were these males having a wonderful time tearing that control into itty bitty pieces.

"Okay." Skull said. "Okay." He leaned even closer, our lips a hair's breadth away, and something flickered in his gaze before he tore himself away and swept inside. I sat still, frozen in shock, before falling back against the hood.

"Fuck my life." I grumbled sadly, Skull you are the biggest friggen tease ever. I thought to myself, closing my eyes, only to have them snap open when a cool hand slid teasingly up my arm. Viper leaned over me, his long hair pooling against my bandaged chest, and I reached up to slide his hat off with a sigh. My blush burned as I eyed his uncovered face when a knowing smirk curled his lips. Long violet bangs hung in bright blue eyes, eyes that stared down into my own hungrily.

"Muu, don't be so pessimistic." He purred, lowering his face towards mine by leaning on his forearm.

"Che!" I scoff, smiling up at him. I may not know him, but one doesn't have to know someone to lust after them, right? "Whatever, that's what attracts you to me, don't kid yourself." I taunt.

"Possibly." He chuckles, a warm blush painting across his pale, pale skin. I twined my arms around his shoulders when he dipped his head to touch his lips to my cheek. "You, Sawada Tsunayoshi, interest me." He said before pressing a burning kiss to the corner of my mouth and then walking away. Stunned I sat up and watched the last of his indigo flames dwindle into nothing.

"Tsuna!" Skull's voice called from the house. "Food's done!" and with that he was gone and my intuition spiked. I knew that earlier had affected him from the way he had called me, distant and coldly polite, well as coldly polite as Skull could be.

"Dammit." I cursed scuffing my toes against the floor as I stalked into the house, angry at myself for not controlling myself. I hadn't even noticed that the first rule Kawahira had given me had been obliterated into a million tiny pieces. Damn you Luche, I thought with a sigh, and your family for being exactly what I had always avoided.

Luche's family was warm and alive in a way that drew people to them like a moth to a flame. They made you want to smile when they did, laugh with them and be a part of their little family. And for someone who had been torn from any semblance of a family at a young age, it was a dangerously tempting idea. One that would not end well for me or anybody near me. I had learned that when my first friend, a boy I met in the park when I was ten, was shot and killed after meeting me.

Armed with that memory, I hefted up my defenses and shoved down the yearning to belong to a family, to belong with a family. Regardless of my past, these people had no business with my line of work, and if I had my way-and I always do-I would be free of them soon, before anybody gets hurt.


	6. Chapter 6

It was odd, sitting at a dinner table with the people who had sort of not really welcomed me into their home. I ate my food quickly, avoiding the concerned stares of Fong and the amused stare of Reborn, who I had no doubt knew about both of my encounters with Viper and Skull. The latter currently on the opposite end of the table, studiously ignoring me as he picked a fight with Reborn. I stamped down on every emotion that flowed through me, locking them up. I didn't need emotions, I was an assassin, emotions would only get me killed. I dumped my plate into the larger metal sink, having barely tasted the sandwich I had just eaten. I strode out the door, meandering down the hall to the empty room that would be called mine. No matter how much I stamped down on it, I could not get rid of the tingling happiness that flooded my chest at the thought. I reached down and freed my mittens from the holster, and held them in my hand, remembering the last time they had been released into their true form.

_Hot. It's hot. And dark. Why? What's going on? I tried to open my eyes. I can't. Why can't I open my eyes? Air burned my throat as I inhaled. Pain radiated out from my back. Explosions and screaming sounded from far away. Panic. I feel panic, and pain and anger and scared. Where is my master? Slowly, I felt my eyelids peel open, exhaustion flooding me from the effort that it took. Blood, it soaked into my clothes staining my skin, watered the grass, tainting it. I turned my head, a body lay near me. A young girl, her long black hair tangled and matted and her face streaked with blood. Her wide black eyes were blank, lifeless, like a doll and her head was twisted at an odd angle._

_ Dead. A soft voice whispered. My intuition. She's dead. It repeated. My eyes widened and bile rose up in my mouth. What are you going to do about it? Are you going to let the monsters that killed her get away with it? Or are you going to avenge her meaningless death? It asked me, and I felt my Flames rise up it response to my distress. Staring at the poor girl who had gotten involved, I knew my answer, and my Flames roared out. My memory blanked, and when I came to, my master was staring at me._

_ Bodies were strewn across the ground, blood painted the empty grass lot a horrible shade of red, and soaked into my skin through my clothes._

_ "Never again lose control of yourself." Master muttered. He stared at me with dark, dark eyes. I gulped, staring down at my hands, the only part of me not covered in blood. "Until you learn the meaning of control, you are not to ever use your gloves." Master commanded. "You lost control and you could have hurt innocent people in your frenzy. You could have killed yourself." I nodded my head at the pale man._

_ "Yes Master." I said obediently. He nodded and gestured for me to follow him and we went home, covered in master's Mist Flames._

I shivered at the memory, that had been the only time my Master had ever been truly angry with me. Since then I haven't used my gloves, restricting myself to using my gun instead. I stared out the open window, noting that the view was of the sky and a large empty field. I sat on the bare bed, and suddenly, I felt lost. I knew I couldn't stay here but I wanted to, I wanted to get to know these people, to know whether or not I could grow to love them. But they didn't know me, and it would be better off for everybody that it stayed that way. Shaking my head to clear these thoughts, I collapse back onto the bed, and close my eyes. I felt exhausted, I was stressing myself out with all of my thinking.

_**CRASH! **_I jack knifed into a sitting position when the door slammed into the wall. The tall blind haired, blue eyed male from that first night stood in the doorway, a bright carefree grin stretching across his face. He wore a pair of faded blue jeans, a white t-shirt and a red bandana was wrapped around his forehead, in his hands were a couple cans of paint.

"So, you're the new guy, kora?" he asked, his voice deep and husky. I nodded, eyeing him warily. His grin was contagious as it brightened, his eyes twinkling happily. "Cool, so you wanna help me, kora?" he asked, dropping the cans of paint on the floor and turning to grab a tarp and handful of brushes.

"Help you with what?" I ask, eyeing him warily, knowing that this was the man who slept in a room full of weapons.

"We are gonna," here he paused and, with a grunt, pried off the lids of the paint cans with a flathead screwdriver, "paint your room, kora!" I stood, and moved over to squat near him. He tugged a shirt out from his back pocket and tossed it to me as he stirred the paint.

"What's this for?" I ask, holding the plain white shirt out in front of me.

"So you don't get paint on your bandages, kora." He said, before sticking a hand out to me. "I'm Colonello, by the way, kora!" he grinned, and I shook his hand a small smile on my face. He got up to start moving the desk out into the hall, and I slid the shirt over my head, it was too big, the sleeves billowing about my elbows, and the hem brushing my lower thigh.

"Let me help." I said, grabbing an edge and helping him push the heavy piece of furniture. I began to push against it and Colonello pulled, it felt good to do some physical labor after taking it easy for so long.

"Should you be doing this, kora?" he asked, tugging on the desk. I gave him a grin, and a mischievous wink.

"Nah, but it feels good to be working out again!" I say, he huffs a laugh and allows me to help him pull the desk into the hallway. With a deep breath we begin to turn the bed, and I had a feeling that we were forgetting something. That something turned out to be the mattress, which I found out when it flopped down on top of me, much to the amusement of Colonello, who doubled over in laughter.

"Don't laugh!" I protested, despite the giggles pouring from my mouth. "Help me get this monster off!" I say, wiggling like a worm underneath the heavy mattress.

"S-sorry, kora!" he stuttered through his chuckles. He grabbed me by the armpits and tugged me out from underneath the large rectangle of death. For a few moments it was silent as I dangled from Colonello's grip, before we collapsed into fits of giggles. Eventually our giggles died down and we got down to business, sharing a humored grin when we caught each other's eyes. Finally, without any more furniture falling on us, the room was clear.

"Okay, let's do this!" I said, getting excited about painting the room. We spread the tarp across the gleaming wooden floor, and grabbed a brush before standing before the waiting cans. Colonello had brought green, blue, yellow, red, orange, and purple paint. Sharing a glance, we dropped the brushes and picked up the roll of blue tape I hadn't noticed Colonello bring in.

"How are we going to do this?" he wondered eyeing the four walls critically. I got an idea, and nabbed the tape before taping off sections of the wall, now along each wall, there lay a thick stripe of tape, almost a foot in width. Colonello eyed the work critically, before grinning and saying "Yosh! Let's do this, kora!" We dipped a brush in the orange paint and approached the far wall, and started on opposite sides. We easily fell into silence, and I concentrated on the movement of my brush covering white with orange. I found myself so focused on what I was doing, I jumped when something wet splattered against me, blinking in shock, I saw that orange was now splattered all over me.

"You just…" I said slowly, my eyes wide in disbelief and Colonello dissolved into fits of laughter. A slow smile spread across my face and I dipped my brush into the blue paint before flinging the wet liquid off my rush and splattering him and the wall behind him with blue. He stopped the second it spread across his face, his eyes opened wide, and his mouth forming a small "o" in surprise, causing me to fall into my own fit of giggles.

"Oh, it's on now, kora!" he growled playfully, dipping his brush in the can he had dragged over to him. I laughed in response, shoving away the emotions building up, the half-finished plans, and the thoughts, and just enjoying the moment. Dancing from side to side, we flung paint at each other, splattering the walls and each other with different colors of paint.

"Can't catch me!" I laugh spinning my brush in the yellow paint, before flinging some at Colonello, as he was bent down to dip his brush in the red paint. He fell back onto his butt, blinking at a strip of yellow dripped across his face diagonally. I busted into laughter and moving forewards for a closer hit, I tripped. Clonello caught me around the waist, holding me from behind and swung me around, causing me to shriek and laugh as the room spun, white, spotted, partially orange and blue, spotted, over and over again. Suddenly he stopped and my legs swung around his like a rag dolls and he dragged his brush across my forehead and down my face, painting a thick red strip and then Colonello promptly fell into a fit of giggles and collapsed backwards, falling onto his back, bringing me down with him.

We lay there panting and catching our breath, covered head to toe in paint, and carefree smiles painted our faces.

"Oh, my." A new voice said, causing us to roll over and look up at the doorway. Luche stood there, a hand resting on her bloated, life-filled stomach and her other hand covering her cheek as a soft smile graced her face. Reborn and Skull stood next to her, eyes wide as they took in the room. Splatters of blue and yellow and red and orange and purple covered three of the walls, the fourth wall was three-fourths the way covered in bright orange, the brilliant liquid color of my flames, the last fourth of the wall was white, making the wall look like an orange creamsicle. I smiled happily up at Luche and stood, leaning against Colonello, even as he leaned against me, paint in our hair and coating our faces like a mask.

"We painted my room!" I chirped unnecessarily. Skull and Reborn didn't say a word, even as Luche chirped compliments at our work. I glanced up at Colonello, and, as though sensing my gaze, he glanced down at me, a smile blooming through the paint. I grinned back, still leaning on him and turned to look at the other two, and found, to my shock, them gazing at me and Colonello with, hidden in Reborn's case, affection in their eyes.

"Oh, Tsuna-kun, Colonello! It looks wonderful!" Luche chirped spinning to view the room, taking in the masterpiece that we had created in our fun.

"You know, this wasn't exactly what I had in mind." I sighed up at Colonello, and he threw back his head and laughed, causing a soft chuckle to escape my lips, marveling at how sore my stomach muscles were. "Ah, it hurts to breathe!" I giggled and Colonello nodded his head vigorously in agreement, an arm curling around his trim waist.

"This was fun, Tsuna!" he smiled, Luche fluttering around the room as at least six bags appeared in the center of the bedroom. "We should hang out again sometime!"

"Of course, Colonello!" I said before pushing my tired body up into a standing position. "We really need a shower…" and as thought these were the magic words, Luche spun around and pointed a finger at us.

"Right, Reborn and Skull will put the room back together, and while they do this, you two will go shower and change!" she said, and I opened my mouth to respond, but she cut me off. "Tsuna-kun, there are some large bandage patches in the guest bathroom, so you don't need to put on anymore bandages if you don't want to." At this I paused before remembering that people holding the Sun Flame doubled as healers and could speed up the healing process in a person's body.

"Thank you!" I say. "But, Skull and Reborn don't have to-"

"Shut up, Dame-Tsuna and go shower." Reborn cut in, as he shoved the desk in, Skull carrying all of the drawers stacked on a chair following after him. I watched them wide-eyed for a moment before my expression softened into a small smile as Reborn sat on the desk while Skull put the drawers back into the desk all the while complaining to Reborn who only ignored him and watched as Skull fought with the furniture.

"Come on Tsuna, let's go wash off the paint." I hear Colonello say, as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders, leading me out of my room, but not before all four of us were blinded by the flash of a camera. Blinking the spots out of our eyes, we looked around for the culprit, only to find nobody. With a confused shrug, I moved towards the bathroom to take a nice hot shower, branching off from Colonello, who went to his room. Stripping out of the sticky bandages and the stiff shirt, I stepped under the spray, watching as the rainbow colored water swirled around my feet. After lathering up with the soap that I found on the edge of the shower stall, and rinsing off, I stepped out and toweled off with the fluffy towel hanging off the towel rack.

Dressing in the clothes left folded on the counter, and wondering when it was that someone entered the bathroom to drop them off, I exited the bathroom, steam following me out as I strode down the hall, still toweling off my hair. I entered my room and froze for a moment. On my bed, which was shoved up against the orange-white wall, were black sheets. Turning I noted the closet, previously empty, now held jackets and dressy clothes (suits, pressed slacks, dress shirts etc.) and underneath was a small chest of drawers, also presumably filled with clothes. With a smile, I moved towards my bed, fully expecting to climb in and fall asleep. I froze when I reached for the covers, a glint of light refracting off of glass catching my eyes.

I picked up a plain picture frame, and my breath caught in my throat, tears misting my gaze slightly, and my heart stuttered before thudding painfully against my ribs. I stood leaning against Colonello, who had his arm wrapped around my shoulders, both of us covered in paint. Colonello's blue gaze warm and his smile bright against the colors of his face, and I still held the gentle smile and warmth in my eyes as I looked at the camera. In the back ground, Reborn was smiling at us, and Skull was leaning against Reborn his own smile as warm and affectionate as Reborn's as he gazed at us.

We looked beautiful, we looked happy. And we looked like we belonged together, all four of us and that thought not only scared me, it caused a warm flush to burn in my chest and butterflies to erupt in my belly and my throat. As this was happening, I felt something change, something fundamental, deep inside me was shifting, changing and reforming. Something was going to change, whether it was good or bad, I didn't know but change was coming and it would affect us all. With a deep sigh, I lay under the covers, my eyes trained on the picture. Taking in the soft, happy glow in my eyes and the soft, affectionate smile that lingered on my face, almost transforming it.

Sleep slowly crept up on my, drawing me into my dreams as the picture in my hand was held tightly and lay face up on the pillow next to me. What I didn't know was that after I had fallen asleep, a tall man wearing a fedora snuck into the room and smiled warmly down at me, brushing his fingers over a spot of yellow paint that I had missed in my hair. As the hand traced through my fluffy brown hair, I relaxed into my bed even more and a soft sigh burst through my lips. The man smiled once more at me before turning and leaving the room as silently as he had come.


	7. Chapter 7

It had been three weeks since I had found myself in Luche's home and had met the most amazingly crazy people belonging to the most dysfunctional family out there. After the first few days, Skull had begun to warm up to me again, and we had been spending most of the evenings together in the garage working on his projects. Reborn had restricted himself to minor abuse of my head and had an extra espresso waiting at the table in the mornings, allowing me to lean against him as I woke up from my half-asleep daze. Fong had quickly become a close friend, and we could often be found in the garden meditating or training, Viper had taken to hovering near me, sneaking random kisses on my body whenever he could, just to see me turn bright red. Lal Mirch had managed to become the older sister from hell, making sure that every afternoon I did physical therapy for the bullet wounds in my torso and leg, which had closed up about two weeks ago. Colonello had managed to worm his way into my circle of dear ones after our bonding experience, sharing laughs, we would often stay up late into the night reading weapon manuals or building prototypes for his job. Verde I had met briefly, and he had asked me to allow him to experiment on me, I tried to avoid him for a while after that. But more often than not, I ended up going into his lab and dropping a blanket over his shoulders when he fell asleep at his desk, as I had done the first time.

Luche's family was starting to accept me into the fold, accept me as one of them, and even though I tried and tried to stop it, the effervescent warmth of happiness tingled through me. Instead, though, I was bored. All of them, save Luche, had been called away by their jobs last week, and I spent the time alone or reading with Luche in the library, relaxing against her legs as her hand stroked through my hair soothingly.

"I'm glad that I brought you home, Tsuna." Luche had said to me a few nights ago. "I haven't seen my family this happy in a long, long time." Here Luche smiled nostalgically, lost in her memories.

"I haven't done anything!" I had protested, bringing a warm smile to her motherly face.

"But you have. They are more open now, and the house is never empty of noise and life, it hasn't been since you woke up here." She said serenely, her free hand resting on her swollen tummy. "It's as though there was a curse on this home, on this family, and you managed to break it."

"I…" I hadn't known what to say as I stared up into her calm eyes.

"So, I thank you, Tsuna for fixing the break in my family." Luche said before sending me off to bed. I would give anything to have been able to say what I want to say now to her. To tell her that, in reality, it was her family that had fixed the break in me. But it's too late for that now, and had I known what would come to pass in the next few days, I would have stayed there, curled up by Luche's feet reading a random book and basking in the warmth of the hand carding through my hair and the warm blanket curled over my shoulders. But I didn't, so I went off to bed and fell asleep with a small smile on my face, content in the knowledge that everyone would be home in three days, and Luche had accepted me as family.

Now, I opened my eyes to the harsh glare of light, my head pounding and my arms and legs held in place but ropes. My shoulders burned where they had my arms twisted back, my wrists and ankles sensitive were the skin was chafed at my earlier attempts to escape and dried blood stuck uncomfortably to the side of my face. In front of me stood the brother of the mafia boss I had gunned down, and each and every one of Luche's family, all bound and afraid to move as Luche was forced to stand to the side of the new boss, a gun pressed to the base of her skull.

"My, my, how the mighty have fallen." The man purred, his greasy hair slicked back and his shiny dress shoes gleaming under the bright light of the garage I had spent so much time in with Skull. "So, tell me, how did you enjoy playing family, did you enjoy your time fitting in?" he sneered and I coughed, blood trickled from the corner of my mouth.

"Screw you." I rasped, my eyes never leaving his but keeping tabs on everyone through my peripherals.

"I have to say," the man went on, ignoring what I had just said as though I had never spoken. "I epected more from-"

"Don't. You. Dare." I snarled unable to help it, they couldn't know, if they knew they would be in so much danger, they deserved normal lives, well everyone but Reborn, but he isn't the world's greatest hitman for nothing.

"Oh?" he paused, and all eyes were on me, curiosity-widened eyes finding my face as the members of my circle sat in front of me. "They don't know? Are you trying to… protect them? Oh, you're playing hero, now are you, boy? Oh, this is just precious! The boy is shielding them from the truth, such a noble boy!" he asked before laughing, wiping tears from his eyes he straightened and drove his fist into my gut, making me cough even more as my lungs labored to bring in air. "Don't order me around, boy. I'm in charge not you." He spat.

"No." I rasped, by breathing labored. "I'm- I'm not capable of being a hero. Protecting them? Sure. I owe it to them for all that they have given me. Shielding them? Noble? Hah. Such Ideals really don't suit me. I'm just trying to keep myself safe." I laugh, knowing the last sentence was a lie, but hoping that he couldn't tell that it was.

"Right, right. Of course." The man nodded good naturedly, his attitude completely different form a few seconds ago. "So you won't mind then, if I tell them who you are."

"NO!" I say, eyes wide and straining against my bonds, my identity must not be known, otherwise I'd have to kill everyone in this room to keep it a secret. I was supposed to be dead, Supposed to have died in the house fire that had "killed" my mother.

"Everyone, meet…" here he paused, the silence thick with tension, interrupted by my growls as the bonds became slick with blood. "27." And with that, my fate and the fate of everyone else in the room was sealed. A hand slipped free and the bonds hit the floor, a gun that was holstered on the hip of the man next to me was freed. BANG. He fell. Pointing down I shot the ropes, freeing my feet, and watched as though in slow motion as the gloating man twisted, panic blooming in his eyes.

_One…_ _two more shots, two men fell._

_ Two… the gloating boss cowered behind Luche and her holder._

_ Three… blood arching up from the gunshot wound of the man in front of me._

_ Four… three men rushed me._

_ Five… BANG. BANG. BANG. They died. The clip is empty._

_ Six… I grabb a new gun. BANG. Luche's captor is dead._

_ Seven… the man hides behind Luche. Disgust curls my lip, cold cruelty painted in blood._

_ Eight… I raise the gun._

_ Nine… Luche closes her eyes and turns her head. The man bolts._

_ Ten… BANG. And then, the silence is deafening._

"Ts-Tsuna?" I hear a voice ask, I pivot to look at Skull. I was well aware of the picture I presented. Blood dripped from every inch of skin, coating my hands a shiny red. Normally warm, brown eyes cold and amber. I was not Tsuna. At that moment I was 27.

"Tsuna. No one will know." Luche whispered as she gently took the gun from my grasp. I opened my eyes. _When had I closed them? _I looked at her before turning and walking into my room. I grabbed a suitcase and filled it with clothes, after wiping my hands on the black towel I had used last night to dry off with. It didn't take me long, as my suitcase consisted of a backpack and my clothes were three pairs of jeans, a few shirts, some chonies* and a suit, should the need arise.

I had known this day would come, I always knew that I would have to leave. I just never knew that it would be this way. 27 existed on the fringes of the mafian society, he gunned down those who were designated as targets. Nobody had ever seen him, and nobody had ever met him. 27 was a ghost. And now, 27 was revealed as Sawada Tsunayoshi. The man would not have kept quiet his identity, he would have bragged and soon, all too soon, they would be coming for me. I closed the door behind me, refusing to tear up, to give in to the sadness and the pain radiating in my chest, refusing to look back. Striding quickly I slipped out into the gardens and hopped the fence before breaking out into an easy lope.

I frowned, it was too easy. I knew that, but my intuition, which would normally be going haywire right now, appeared to be giving me the…cold shoulder? I paused for a second and pondered the meaning of this before shoving it away and got back into the easy rhythm I had set for myself as Luche's home disappeared behind me as I slipped into the forest. I had expected the large trees and the rough terrain. I had even prepared myself for the creepy crawlies that I would undoubtedly find in here. What I had not expected was the bright green fluff found at the end of a tranquilizer dart sticking out of my bloodstained, jean-clad, thigh. I fell to the ground as the fast acting tranq flowed through my bloodstream, mutely hearing the thud of a body hitting the ground, and the flash of dark blue and violet.

_Damn._ _God damnit Lal! _I thought as my thoughts grew fuzzy and I was sucked into unconsciousness.

When I opened my eyes, it was to a bright light hanging from the white ceiling I had found when I first woke up in this house. Only this time, I was reclining on the chest of someone, their breathing even. Two warm bodies were pressed up against my sides and a body rested along my feet. A warm hand held over the pulse point in my left wrist. My right hand was being pressed against the face of someone.

I stared wide-eyed at the sight of Colonello's relaxed face leaning back against the wall, Skull and Viper were wrapped around me, my arms underneath their necks as their heads rested against my chest. Reborn, who looked as haggard as Reborn would allow himself to look sat with my hand pressed against his cheek, as though I was cradling it. Verde sat in a large plush chair, his fingers on my pulse point. Fong sat cross legged his hands folded tightly in his lap as worry lines formed around his normally smiling mouth. I allowed my fingers to curl around Reborn's face, causing him to open relieved amber eyes. Eyes that stared at my face intently, the dark shadows under his eyes vivid against his porcelain skin.

"You're awake." Reborn sighed, relief in his words, my heart clenched in my chest at the sound. At his words everyone stirred. The arms that I hadn't noticed tightened around my shoulders as a chin dropped onto my head.

"Finally, kora!" Colonello said, and I could feel his smile as he pressed his lips into my hair.

"Did you really think you'd get away that easy?" Viper murmured, throwing a leg over my hips and curling his calf around Skull's leg, effectively pinning me.

"We would never allow that." Verde smiled, his fingers leaving my pulse to slide down and tangle with my own, the same happening with Reborn, who had weaved his fingers through mine.

"You are part of this family, Tsuna." Fong said, before resting his head against Viper's thigh, his body curling into a ball between my legs.

"You're ours." Skull spoke up, inching closer. I blinked rapidly, clearing away the tears misting my vision. A large, cheek-aching smile spread across my face. Just like preparing for a shot, slowly building up, waiting for the right moment then suddenly in a move so fast that it was barely visible, I fell for every one of these confusing, attractive, affectionate males. And I wouldn't have had it any other way.

"Tsuna-san!" Luche called, opening the door, I waited to see if any would move away, and when they all stayed right where they were, I felt my heart thud faster and butterflies dancing in my stomach. "Tsuna-san, your father is here." She said with a serene smile, stepping aside as a tall man, with amber eyes and blond hair, dressed in a suit stepped into the room.

"Hello, my little boy!" he said with a large smile. I tensed, ice sliding through me, earsing any warmth that I had had in the previous moment.

"Father?" I asked.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Skull:**_

I knew the moment I first saw Tsuna he would be special. For one thing, the boy was much more beautiful than any male had the right to be, he was short, but willowy. His caramel eyes were large and tinted with sunset orange, and his thick fluffy hair sticking up off his head swayed with every movement, and his toffee bangs framed his eyes warmly against the pale back drop of his skin. He was soft with a core of the strongest metal, perfect and absolutely beautiful, like a flower. And he was completely off limits. I could not in good conscious, or what's left of it, drag him into their lifestyle.

So, when I had him in the perfect position to kiss him, I forced myself to shut down and pull away, and ignore the disappointed look on his pretty face. I kept him at a distance for as long as I could, which, as it turns out, wasn't as long as I had hoped. When Reborn and myself were sent to help Tsuna with his room, since all of his stuff was in the hallway, we found Tsuna and Colonello, covered in paint splatters, wild smiles on their faces and giggles echoing throughout the room. It had been the first time I had seen him so care-free. I grinned when Viper appeared in the doorway with a camera and snapped a picture of the four of us, Reborn and me working on his desk, and Tsuna and Colonello with their happy smiles on their faces. It only served as a reminder that I could not have him, that, no matter how much we wanted him, we couldn't keep him for ourselves.

It was easy to fall into a life that included Tsuna, I found myself getting closer to Colonello, someone I had never really been close to in the first place, and to Viper, with whom I had never had a single full conversation. Tsuna had easily become my best friend, even though all I wanted was something I could never have. But I never allowed myself to let that hinder our friendship, I buried it under everything, praying that should it ever come to him leaving, I would be able to let him go.

So, when I found out that he was 27, the famed assassin of the Mafia world, I couldn't help but rejoice. We stood a chance! He ran from the room the second the last man was dead or unconscious, I didn't know nor care. We were forced to stay as Luche used her Sky Flames to boost our own Flames and speed up our healing. The first thing I did, was run to Tsuna's room, only to pause at the partially opened door. Pushing it open and stepping into the room, it was confirmed that Tsuna was gone. My heart stopped beating momentarily, before picking up a ragged and painful pace.

"He's gone!" I wailed as I ran back to the others. "Tsuna! He left!" They all gaped at me, as though waiting for me to shout 'SURPRISE! I GOT YA!' Only, instead of that, tears filled my eyes and I pressed my trembling lips together to stop any noises from coming out. Two sets of strong arms surrounded me, as though holding me together as I choked back the tears.

"Lal. Go bring him home." Luche ordered, her tone booked no argument.

"Yes, Boss." Lal said, pulling a gun out of nowhere and shouldering it before vanishing. It was torture, waiting, wondering. I leaned into Reborn, clutching at the muscular forearm belonging to Colonello. I felt myself breaking as the possibility of Tsuna's refusal to return to us occurred to me. Lal became my favorite person the moment she waltzed back into the mansion, Tsuna thrown over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes. The second Luche stepped through the door leading to the room Tsuna was in, I crawled up next to Tsuna, and allowed everything to fade from me, except for his gentle breathing. I felt the bed dip with another's weight, and a hand clutch mine. Slowly the hand moved so that it rested over Tsuna's heart, lacing our fingers together, the other, now known to me as Viper, pressed my hand down so that I could feel every single beat of Tsuna's heartbeat. I pressed closer, barely registering the new bodies curled around us. To me, all that mattered was that now, all of the elements belonging in the Sky have found the other side of the Sky.

_**Reborn:**_

It hadn't taken the boy long to do it. To worm and wiggle his way into my heart. He had quickly become a joint interest of every single other male here that he had met. That was not strange. None of it was. What was truly strange, Was that I was not threatened in the least by this notion, instead I was faced with a willingness to allow this to occur, knowing that we were all to dear to the boy to not share himself with all of us.

It had been weeks since his arrival and never before had I been so comfortable around someone I knew next to nothing about. Easily falling into the routine of setting out two cups and allowing myself to be used as a prop every morning. Being able to see Tsuna get out of bed, and bumble around the house's large kitchen, the one place we always seem to gather at. After that mission we had gone on, I had been ready to collapse, so it had been easy for the enemy to ambush us. That had barely rattled me. Learning that Tsuna was the infamous assassin known to the mafia world as 27, now that shook me to my core. The fact that Tsuna, the boy that fumbled with his cup of hot espresso in the morning, that laughed with Skull and Colonello, meditated with Fong, and bantered with me, was the cold blooded assassin that nobody, not one, single person, had ever seen. Our sweet Tsuna was a dangerous person.

And that in its self was the single most hottest thing I had ever learned.

I watched as Skull nearly fell apart upon his discovery of Tsuna's missing presence. No, it was not quite love yet, but it would be, I decided, as I moved to enclose Skull in my arms, Colonello following after me. It was with great relief that I watched as Lal lugged Tsuna home. As we entered the room, I sat down heavily and pressed his hand to my face, inhaling his scent and feeling the warmth of Tsuna seep into my skin. He would stay here, and he would be ours, should he wish it. And I knew, beyond a shred of doubt, Tsuna would belong to us. When he was ready, he would become ours.

_**Viper:**_

Tsuna was kind. He was tired, and strong, and he was fragile under that core of steel. He intrigued me to no end. Very seldom do I interact with anyone outside of Luche, I am not a people person and to feel so comfortable around Tsuna is a blessing for me. He easily lowers my walls and allows me to freely be myself as we interacted, watching Skull dance around his toy shirtless, admiring the fine body in front of us.

Tsuna, otherwise known as 27, was precious to me, and I was certain that, no matter how much we may fight it, Tsuna will eventually belong with us, he will be ours and we will be his. That was the one inevitable fate that had befallen us the moment we met Tsuna, the boy with amber sunset eyes, toffee hair and crème skin.

It was easily believable that this fate could be severed and a new one, a worse one could take its place, as shown by Tsuna's leaving. But the effects of our fate being tied to Tsuna's has already taken root. Skull, violet eyes wide and teary, ran into the room declaring Tsuna's untimely departure, and it took the arms of Reborn and Colonello to soothe the distraught male. The boy closed his eyes and leaned into Reborn's chest and clutched at Colonello's forearms to his chest as he swallowed back his tears. Fong closed his eyes and breathed out a sigh, and for the first time, when he breathed in, it shook and rattled, Verde merely looked confused, as he had yet to meet Tsuna, and Colonello rested his head on Reborn's shoulder, his jaw tense. Reborn himself, arms wrapped around Skull's waist, buried his face in Skulls vibrant purple locks.

Luche dispatched Lal, and I watched as Skull broke a little more in their arms as we all waited. Nearly half an hour passed before Lal strode through the door, holding Tsuna over her shoulder, unconscious and still covered in blood from his fight. With a single word, Luche left and closed the door behind her, leaving Skull to break even more.

"No."

And we waited. It felt like a lifetime, and I couldn't help but start to hate Luche for doing what she had as I watched Skull age before my eyes, knowing that being apart from Tsuna would have our consequences, and the closer we get to Tsuna, the greater the consequences would become, and Skull… Skull was closer to him than all of us combined. That would be the price all of us would pay for having our Sky completed. Luche was our Boss, our Family Head, but she was only half of the Sky all of us needed.

It was with great relief that Lal opened the door and allowed us into the room Tsuna lay in, still knocked out from whatever Lal had used to knock him out with. Skull crawled into the bed, darting from the safety of Reborn and Colonello's arms, and curling up in Tsuna's side, the break in him lessening each passing moment. Verde moved to stand behind Skull, he reached out and gripped the slender wrist in a large hand, searching for a pulse. I clambered up onto the bed curling into Tsuna's other side, and I slid a hand across Tsuna's chest and I grabbed Skull's hand in my own, bringing Skull's hand to rest palm down over Tsuna's beating heart even as I laced my fingers through his. We did not move, not even when Colonello situated himself behind Tsuna, holding him close to his heart. Fong sat near Tsuna's feet, calming himself with deep even breaths. I felt Reborn's warmth, he radiated it like the sun, as he sat behind me, and Tsuna's limp arm moved, a small smile touching my face when I heard his small inhale of breath as he settled the calloused yet soft skin of his hand.

_**Hey!**_

_**This chapter is dedicated to Carrolx, because this lovely reviewer has not only PM'd me, she has reviewed almost every chapter the day it came out from the beginning. I just want to say sorry to everyone that reviewed for the last chapter. I have to admit that I couldn't decide on completing the cliffhanger or this, and I have, obviously, decided that I would let you guys stew for a while more.**_


	9. Chapter 9

I stared at the man in the doorway blankly, I couldn't help it. This was the man who had abandoned me and my mother for the first eight years of my life, and then the first time I actually see him, he ships me off to Italy to live with my master, and that was the last I had heard of him. Iemitsu Sawada, the Lion of the Vongola, and the Nono's external advisor. He hadn't changed a bit, still tall and blonde with golden lion-like eyes.

"What do you want, father?" I asked my voice colder than the arctic wind. I felt Skull and Viper tighten their arms across my chest, and the sudden tensing of Verde's hand on my pulse, Reborn squeezed my hand and Fon pressed against my foot briefly. I noticed Luche watching from behind Iemitsu, her thin, pale hand resting on the curve of her belly.

"Tsunayoshi Sawada, I am here on behalf of the Vongola's Boss, to inform you of your being chosen as the heir of the Vongola mantle." Iemitsu said, his voice full of false enthusiasm. It didn't fool me, I could see the shadow of pain lurking in his eyes. There was a reason he sent me away, mainly because I looked so much like his deceased wife, and mainly because he could not afford to have a kid around him with his line of work as the Vongola's external advisor. "You will relocate to your hometown for the duration of your training, effective immediately." Iemitsu continued and I closed my eyes. Back to Namimori-cho. Back to the place I had made my first friend, and lost my mother. Back to the place I swore I would never go back to.

"I don't seem to have a choice in this do I?" I asked, knowing I didn't. Once you were elected as heir for a mafia Boss, you were screwed, whether you want to or not, you would be trained and tested until you became the image of the perfect mafia Boss. To be chosen as a Vongola heir, that was an even bigger deal.

"No." my father said, sympathy dripping from his voice. "Also, it is my pleasure to inform you that you will be trained by the guardians of the Arcobaleno's Sky, Luche, and by Luche herself in the case of controlling your flames." Iemitsu stated, before turning to go. "Goodbye, son."

"I'm not your son now any more than I was when I was eight, Iemitsu. Your son died that night, watching his mother get gunned down in their house." I said, pain coating my voice as flashes of that night blinked behind my eyes torturing me.

"Good day, Vongola." Iemitsu said, staring straight ahead before leaving. I sagged back into my pillow, and Colonello squeezed my shoulders.

"What do you mean, gunned down?" I heard Fon ask, his voice hesitant and curious.

"My father works as the Vongola Boss's external advisor for the remainder of the Boss's term. And during his time in that position, he made a lot of enemies. One of his enemies found out about Iemitsu's family, his loving wife who knew nothing and his eight year old son." I began. "And so they waited, watching as the boy left the house and walked to school, watched as the boy's mother did her daily chores, ignorant to the eyes upon her as she worked. And when the boy got home, they started up their car and drove by, shooting the boy's mother in the head and clipping him in the arm. But they didn't know that, they thought the boy was dead. Instead the boy's father, completely devastated by the loss of his wife sent his son away to train with a hitman. And when the boy turned twelve, he found these men and shot them in front of their wives and children before disappearing without a trace."

There was silence. And then Reborn-fucking Reborn- burst out laughing, the smile on his face proud and slightly bloodthirsty. "Oh, Tsuna you are just full of surprises aren't you?" he asked, mirth in his voice. I shrugged, knowing that there was way more to the story than that, there was my master, and the questions he left behind, and then there was the odd way I could fight with my flames, the way I was forbidden to do. Then there was the reason for my being chosen now, of all times, now when Nono's son had just reappeared. It was all so confusing and sounded suspiciously like a soap opera or a teenage drama show.

"More than you'll ever know if I can help it." I challenged prompting Reborn to grinned predatorily. That look sent shivers of heat down my spine.

"Alright kids, it's time for Tsuna to rest, now come along, we have to go pack!" Luche cajoled, her warm smile destroying any hint of rebellion. I smiled at the sight of the six men crowding my hospital bed slinking from the room like dejected puppies until only Skull remained.

"Skull? Are you-?!" I started to ask, and then Skull's warm mouth covered mine. I felt my eyes go wide before sliding shut as I twined my arms around his neck, pulling him down to me as our lips meshed together. Warmth seemed to seep into my muscles and melt my bones, and my skin seemed electrified where Skull touched me, his mouth on mine, his arm holding my back, arching me up to him, and his hand warm and comforting where it held my jaw, cradling my cheek. I twisted my fingers into his soft, thick hair at the base of his neck and surrendered myself to him opening my mouth to his tongue, tangling it with mine. After an eternity he pulled away, and I gasped in breath shallowly opening my eyes halfway to see his face. The pale skin flushed pink and his eyes warm like melted amethysts, and his lips swollen and pink stretched into a smile. He pressed another kiss to my mouth before disappearing, leaving me to grin like a loon.

When I opened my eyes it was dark and I was in a car, Reborn's scent tickling my nose. I frowned and rubbed my eyes, when had I fallen asleep? And then I remembered the kiss Skull had given me and a smile spread across my face, widening when I saw the same man in the passenger seat, fast asleep.

"Hello there, Tsuna." Reborn said his voice soft and low so as not to wake up Skull or apparently Colonello, who was passed out on my other side. Lal Mirch sat in the driver's seat, ignoring us.

"Hi, Reborn," I answered just as softly.

"I have to admit, I didn't think Skull could do it." Reborn said, a hint of teasing in his voice.

"Reborn!" I yelped, not as quietly as before and waking up Skull who, as I failed to notice, began listening in.

"What, we were all waiting for it to happen, I just thought you would make the first move." Reborn said the teasing stronger and strain painted the background, strain to keep from bursting into laughter.

"Reborn, stop it!" I whispered my face red. "I don't mind that he did that, at all, nor how long it took for it to happen!" I berated. "And it's none of your business!"

"Actually, Tsuna, it is." Skull replied, prompting a jump from me and a wide eyed stare. "After all, he wants a kiss too. We all do, well, excluding Verde because he's never really around you." Skull said a teasing smile on his face and warmth in his eyes. I blushed even deeper at that sentence, feeling heat rise in my belly at the thought of kissing Reborn with Skull watching before smacking myself repeatedly (mentally, of course, I'm not that crazy yet!) and demanding to get myself under control. Only to have Reborn tilt my red face up and press a kiss to my mouth, gently but a harsh kiss, tasting of coffee and cloves. I pushed back against his kiss, warring for the control I knew he would gain anyway. I opened my mouth under his when his blunt teeth nipped my lower lip, taunting his tongue to play. When we parted I was panting my face feeling hot and a dazed feeling spreading through my mind as I leaned on Reborn's chest, my hands on his bicep and the back of his neck, his hand under my chin and gripping my hip.

As I sat up I peeked at Skull, who was grinning and looked faintly red in the darkness of the car's dim lighting.

"That was hot." Skull said, his voice husky and low. I moaned and covered my face with my hands to hide my blush, smiling into my palms when I heard their laughter.

_**Hello my lovelies! I want to apologize for how long this took, but I just got nito a slump where I couldn't get out what I wanted to happen next and school started and I got swamped with homework and life just exploded like it seems to, but I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**_

_**~Bliss is Ignorance**_


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